Medical Masks Versus N95 Respirators for Preventing COVID-19 Among Health Care Workers
Authors: Jim Delaine
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2023)

LettersJuly 2023Medical Masks Versus N95 Respirators for Preventing COVID-19 Among Health Care WorkersFREEJim Delaine, MDJim Delaine, MDWillow Bend Clinic, Plano, TexasSearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/L23-0075 SectionsAboutVisual AbstractPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR: Loeb and colleagues (1) state, “We hypothesized that medical masks would be noninferior to N95 respirators.” Their trial did not show superiority (statistically) of N95 respirators. The conclusion states, “the overall estimates rule out a doubling in hazard of [reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)]–confirmed COVID-19 for medical masks when compared with [hazard ratios] of RT-PCR–confirmed COVID-19 for N95 respirators.” Why not just say medical masks were noninferior to N95 respirators? That is easier to explain.Reference1. Loeb M, Bartholomew A, Hashmi M, et al. Medical masks versus N95 respirators for preventing COVID-19 among health care workers. A randomized trial. Ann Intern Med. 2022;175:1629-1638. [PMID: 36442064] doi:10.7326/M22-1966 LinkGoogle Scholar Comments0 CommentsSign In to Submit A Comment Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Jim Delaine, MDAffiliations: Willow Bend Clinic, Plano, TexasDisclosures: Authors have reported no disclosures of interest. Forms can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=L23-0075. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoMedical Masks Versus N95 Respirators for Preventing COVID-19 Among Health Care Workers Mark Loeb , Amy Bartholomew , Madiha Hashmi , Wadea Tarhuni , Mohamed Hassany , Ilan Youngster , Ranjani Somayaji , Oscar Larios , Joseph Kim , Bayan Missaghi , Joseph V. Vayalumkal , Dominik Mertz , Zain Chagla , Maureen Cividino , Karim Ali , Sarah Mansour , Lana A. Castellucci , Charles Frenette , Leighanne Parkes , Mark Downing , Matthew Muller , Verne Glavin , Jennifer Newton , Ravi Hookoom , Jerome A. Leis , James Kinross , Stephanie Smith , Sayem Borhan , Pardeep Singh , Eleanor Pullenayegum , and John Conly Medical Masks Versus N95 Respirators for Preventing COVID-19 Among Health Care Workers Kevin Hedges , Marianne Levitsky , Genevieve Marchand , Lidia Morawska , Luc Bhérer , Marie-Claude Letellier Medical Masks Versus N95 Respirators for Preventing COVID-19 Among Health Care Workers Mark Loeb , Dominik Mertz , Zain Chagla , John Conly Medical Masks Versus N95 Respirators for Preventing COVID-19 Among Health Care Workers Christine Laine , Christina C. Wee , Stephanie Chang , Deborah Cotton , Vineet Chopra , Sankey V. Williams , Yu-Xiao Yang , Eliseo Guallar , Eric A. Ross Medical Masks Versus N95 Respirators for Preventing COVID-19 Among Health Care Workers Trisha Greenhalgh , Danielle J. Cane , Matthew Oliver Medical Masks Versus N95 Respirators for Preventing COVID-19 Among Health Care Workers David N. Fisman , Raina Macintyre Medical Masks Versus N95 Respirators for Preventing COVID-19 Among Health Care Workers Lisa M. Brosseau Metrics Current IssueJuly 2023Volume 176, Issue 7KeywordsCOVID-19Health care providersInfectious diseasesPreventive medicine ePublished: 18 July 2023 Issue Published: July 2023 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2023 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...